Key facts
Tuscany at a glance
Areas and places
Tuscany area by area
Each area has its own page, with its own character, plans and map.
Itineraries
Itineraries that pass through
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Getaways from Pisa
Plan the trip
Tuscany, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Tuscany
From April to June and in September and October: green or golden fields, mild days and the grape harvest at the end. July and August are hot and Florence is packed. In winter the cities can be seen without queues, but the countryside loses its colour and many rural houses close.
How you travel
Tuscany your way
The ways of travelling that suit Tuscany. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carBy planeCar-free
Nearby
Near Tuscany
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
43.07° N · 12.62° E
Umbria
By carBy planeCar-free
44.49° N · 11.34° E
Emilia-Romagna
By planeCar-free
44.13° N · 9.68° E
Liguria
By planeCar-free
41.89° N · 12.48° E
Lazio
By carBy planeBackpackingCar-freeLuxury
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book Florence before the flight
The Vasari Corridor requires a named reservation, and the Uffizi and the Duomo's dome sell by time slot. Buy on the official websites.
- 2Pick up the car when you leave Florence
Hire it the day you head to the countryside, at the airport or on the outskirts. Inside the city you don't need it and the ZTL fines.
- 3Sleep in the countryside, not the city
A farm stay in the Val d'Orcia or Chianti leaves you half an hour from everything and gives you quiet dinners among vineyards.
- 4Pisa first thing
The Piazza dei Miracoli fills by mid-morning with groups arriving by coach. Go early or in the late afternoon.
They're four different cities, each with its own rhythm. In a hurry you'll only see car parks. Better two, done well.
Which part of Tuscany should you choose?
Tuscany has two trips inside it. One is of art cities, with museums you book and streets you walk. The other is of countryside: cultivated hills, villages on high, wineries and hot springs. The ideal is to combine the two, but each needs its own base and way of getting around.
For art, Florence is the centre of everything: the Duomo, the Uffizi, the Pitti Palace and the Oltrarno, all a stroll from one another. It needs at least three nights. From there, Pisa and Lucca are a short train ride away, and Siena a bus ride. Pisa can be seen in half a day: the Piazza dei Miracoli, with the tower, the baptistery and the cathedral. Lucca is best enjoyed by bike on its walls. Siena deserves a night: its shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and its white-and-green marble cathedral justify the trip.
For landscape, the Val d'Orcia, south of Siena, is the Tuscany of the postcards: rolling hills, rows of cypresses, Pienza, Montalcino and the hot springs of Bagno Vignoni. Further north, between Florence and Siena, Chianti is a land of vineyards and small villages. San Gimignano, with its medieval towers, lies halfway between city and countryside.
For the sea, the Tuscan coast faces the island of Elba, reached by ferry from Piombino in about an hour. If what you're after is coloured villages above the water, the Cinque Terre are just across the border, in Liguria, a little over an hour by train from Pisa.
A good split for a week: three nights in Florence without a car, and three or four in the countryside with a hire car, in the Val d'Orcia or Chianti, with a day for Siena.
How do you get there from Spain?
By plane, to Pisa or Florence. Pisa has more flights: Ryanair flies there from Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Málaga, Girona, Palma and Ibiza, among others. From Pisa airport, the People Mover drops you at Pisa Centrale station in a few minutes, and from there regional trains to Florence take between fifty minutes and a little over an hour. Florence has a small airport, with direct Vueling flights from Barcelona and Madrid; the T2 tram links it with Piazza della Unità, next to Santa Maria Novella station, in about twenty minutes.
Another option is to fly to Rome or Bologna and continue by high-speed train: Bologna is under forty minutes from Florence and Rome an hour and a half.
How do you get around Tuscany?
Between cities, by train and bus. Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Arezzo have stations with frequent trains. Siena is poorly served by train: the Autolinee Toscane bus from Florence is more practical and takes about an hour and a quarter.
For the countryside, a car. The villages of the Val d'Orcia and Chianti are spread across hills with few buses. The roads are good but winding, and the historic centres are almost all limited traffic zones: park outside the walls and walk up.
When should you go and what does it cost?
Spring and early autumn. In May the fields are green and in June the poppies and golden wheat appear; September and October are harvest time and the first mushrooms. Summer is hot, especially in Florence, and August fills the cities.
Tuscany isn't cheap. Florence is among the most expensive cities in Italy for sleeping, and so are Val d'Orcia farm stays in high season. Eating in a village trattoria is affordable, though. Siena holds its Palio on 2 July and 16 August: on those days the city fills up and accommodation prices soar.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many days do I need for Tuscany?
A week: three nights in Florence and three or four in the countryside. With five days, choose Florence and the Val d'Orcia or Chianti.
Can you see Tuscany without a car?
The cities, yes: Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Siena are linked by train and bus. The countryside and small villages, no; for that you need a car or an organised excursion.
Which airport should I fly to, Pisa or Florence?
Pisa has more flights from Spain and is usually cheaper. Florence is closer to the centre. If you're heading straight to the countryside, Pisa and a hire car.
Where is the Tuscany of the cypresses?
In the Val d'Orcia, south of Siena, around Pienza, San Quirico d'Orcia and Montalcino. It's been a World Heritage Site since 2004.
When is the Siena Palio?
On 2 July and 16 August, in the Piazza del Campo. If you're not going to see it, avoid those dates for sleeping in Siena.
Is it a good region for children?
Yes, if you alternate: a museum day in Florence, another of swimming pool or hot springs in the countryside, and Pisa, which children love for the tower.